The Forgotten #7 – Toxic’s Count Down

Toxic. A Korean band that I have been in love with since their major debut. After falling in love with their debut song “Lonely” and falling in love with their entire mini album First Bridge, I marathoned the first season of KBS’s Top Band. I have also bought all their digital releases to date (excluding OST contributions, I might not have all of those). They have a very distinct sound that is all their own. When their song comes on, you know it. So why do they make my Forgotten series? Well…it really boils down to one sole song on their mini album Count Down. That one song made me realize that while I have listened to First Bridge on repeat, I haven’t done the same with Count Down. Thus during my little mistake of downloading 2 years worth of music purchases onto my poor 8 GB iPod Touch, I discovered the album all over again and songs I realize I didn’t know much about. Crazy.

A little background about Toxic? It’s a two member band. Kim Jung Woo is the leader and the guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist. Kim Seul Ong is the maknae and the drummer/keyboardist/vocalist. Seul Ong also utilizes a little device called a Kaoss Pad to help get some of the sound effects in their songs. Seul Ong can also play the guitar, but I don’t think he does so in their performances. They get a bass sound to their songs by utilizing a special series of amps. No support musicians, just the two of them. And I can’t find anything missing. I love them just the way they are.

01. Count Down
This title song is very catchy and one of the heavier songs on the album. I loved it instantly on first listen. The video for the song…um…not so much. I have no problem with a clock counting down or shots of the band, but scantily clad girl rubbing herself all over…not my cup of tea, lol.

02. 외로워 [Oeroweo; Lonely rock version]
LOVE Toxic. Love their debut song…do not love this version. Sorry. I just…don’t like it as much. Even though the original isn’t like Toxic’s normal sound, I still enjoy it and think it’s better than this version. Which is sad as I do love Toxic’s arrangement of other songs they utilized during Top Band and their one show stint on Immortal Songs 2.

03. 잠시라도 그대 [Jamsirado Geudae]
Not as fierce as “Count Down” but a harder song particularly towards the chorus. I am enamored by the chorus moreso than the verses, but when all combined, it’s a good song. Underlying the rock vibe is some other genre that I can’t quite put my finger…jazz? I don’t know. If you figure it out, do tell. But, again, an awesome song that I did not listen to for the longest of times even though I have had this album for nearly a year.

04. Midnight
THIS is the song that made me rediscover this album…or the fact that there was more to Count Down than the title song and my all-time fave “Into the Night”, lol. This is more of a ballad from this duo and I just…melt…with this song. It’s perfection. Awesome. Daebak. I’m sad that I did not listen to it when I first got the album. I will be better now. I will give the albums their fair listen from now on, lol.

05. Into the Night
I was ecstatic to see this song on this album. I was looking for it on their debut album, but no. Then it wasn’t on their next single. I was anxiously awaiting the release of this song. When I heard it on Top Band, I instantly wanted it to listen to again and again. It was like that when I watched Rock Star INXS and first heard Marty Casey’s self-composed “Trees” as well.

06. 이상형 [Isanghyeong]
Love the guitar in this song. Kim Jung Woo has some mad guitar skills. Oh…and I’m totally in love with his guitar which has Starry Night on it. this song kind of has this start and stop thing going on and I love it. Yes, I do.

07. Count Down (Inst.)
I am oddly enough never bored with their instrumental only tracks.